How can I begin about my trip to Istanbul? It was so different (in food, architecture, culture, and religion) than anything I have ever experienced before, and it was amazing. Of course, with our luck, there were record low temperatures the three days we were there, but despite our misery in the freezing cold we got to see things under a blanket of snow. This is a view that many visitors will never see as most travel during the summer, and I think it only made our trip more magical.
We flew into Sahiba Gökçen airport, which is in Asia, and we stayed in Sultanahmet, the old city, which is in Europe. If you're unfamiliar with the geography of Istanbul (which I certainly was before this trip), it straddles the Bosphorus Straits, and therefore lies in both Asia and Europe. We had hoped to do some exploring, including a night out in Beyoğlu (which is apparently the up-and-coming district), but it was just too cold and so we stayed pretty close to our hostel at night.
Evil eye on the shuttle bus from the airport
Our fantastic little hostel. This picture is a bit of a lie, since I took it the last day, but it made more sense to include it here.
Sultanahmet at night
Katie, myself, and Brad getting some Turkish Lira. Finally, an exchange rate in our favor! (1€ = about 2 TL.) Those steps look innocent enough, but they were incredibly slick. Smooth marble and slush do not mix.
Hagia Sophia
The Blue Mosque
On our way to dinner Brad tried a mystery street drink. It was actually delicious-- hot milk, honey, cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar-- and we each ended up having a cup at some point during our trip.
After dinner, a toast of Raki, the traditional Turkish anise-flavored liquor. For dinner I had the most amazing chicken stuffed with rice, almonds, and pistachios. For dessert we all shared some baklava, our first of many on this trip.
We flew into Sahiba Gökçen airport, which is in Asia, and we stayed in Sultanahmet, the old city, which is in Europe. If you're unfamiliar with the geography of Istanbul (which I certainly was before this trip), it straddles the Bosphorus Straits, and therefore lies in both Asia and Europe. We had hoped to do some exploring, including a night out in Beyoğlu (which is apparently the up-and-coming district), but it was just too cold and so we stayed pretty close to our hostel at night.
Evil eye on the shuttle bus from the airport
Our fantastic little hostel. This picture is a bit of a lie, since I took it the last day, but it made more sense to include it here.
Sultanahmet at night
Katie, myself, and Brad getting some Turkish Lira. Finally, an exchange rate in our favor! (1€ = about 2 TL.) Those steps look innocent enough, but they were incredibly slick. Smooth marble and slush do not mix.
Hagia Sophia
The Blue Mosque
On our way to dinner Brad tried a mystery street drink. It was actually delicious-- hot milk, honey, cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar-- and we each ended up having a cup at some point during our trip.
After dinner, a toast of Raki, the traditional Turkish anise-flavored liquor. For dinner I had the most amazing chicken stuffed with rice, almonds, and pistachios. For dessert we all shared some baklava, our first of many on this trip.
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